WHEN residents complained that an abandoned rubbish-filled wheelie bin was spoiling their neighbourhood, they hoped the council would deal with it.

Instead, the man from the Town Hall went to the scene, slapped a sticker reading `Enviro-crime' on the bin, and drove away.

Householder Laurence Pike, whose Stretford home backs on to the alleyway where the bin has been left, was astonished at the actions of Trafford council.

Mr Pike, of Derbyshire Lane, said the bin was abandoned three weeks ago and has become infested with flies.

He said: "I phoned the council asking for it to be removed. This man put a sticker on the bin and drove off again. Surely they could just collect it."

'Revolting'

Mr Pike added: "The smell is revolting and there are flies everywhere. I can't open my windows because of the stench and it's too hot for me to work from home with the windows closed. It's no good just placing a sticker on the bin saying that it's a health risk, and that the council is aware of it. What is that going to resolve?"

Bernard Sheridan, head of environmental services at Trafford council, said: "Our environmnental crime action team did find refuse bags dumped in an alleyway on Derbyshire Lane. The council issued a fixed penalty notice to the person and arrangements have been made for the bin to be removed.

"Once an environmental crime has been found to be committed, a sticker is placed at the scene. Anyone found littering the streets, which includes leaving waste alongside wheelie bins, will be issued with a fixed penalty."